It doesn't look very good right now - had to cut everything back to the surface-water level, so the kangkong could start producing new, fresh growth. In a week or two, there will be loads of big green, yummy, spinach leaves everywhere.
Kangkong (aka, kong-xin tsai, or water spinach), in the Pacific Islands, in Southeast Asia, and in China, is a favorite veggie for many. It's so easy to grow, as well as being super healthy.
For the U.S.A., it is banned in most states. It is considered too invasive and foreign. Thank the Lord, it is not banned in the Mariana Islands, so, never have to buy "imported American spinach," which is way to expensive, anyway.
In a jungle nearby, found an old broken freezer, overgrown with vines and stuff. Cleaned it up, and planted young kangkong sprouts inside (anchored with rocks, and a little soil). Added water as the kangkong sprouts grew. Kangkong is quite prolific, so it didn't take long to get good results.
The water spinach (aka, swamp spinach) loves a swamp-like environment. For that reason, often making sure the freezer is always full of water, as much as possible. No water pump, or drains needed. In this hot tropical climate, water evaporates extremely fast. During our rainy season, no need to regulary refresh the swamp spinach.
There's only one problem with a good Kangkong growbed - too much standing water. Yes, you guessed it - mosquitoes!
This dilemma is easily solved with live guppies. A good gardening friend, on the east coast of this island, uses guppies in their rainwater barrels to irradicate mosquitoes. Put a jar full of guppies ino the kangkong swamp a year ago. Thank you, Jesus - the guppies are thriving, the water spinach has been growing super good, and no mosquitoes anywhere! Discovered, the guppies love mosquito larvae.
Although, on the outside, the rusty freezer looks very ghetto (not trying to get published with Homes & Garden Magazine), my friends and I always have a steady supply of yummy water spinach. With the guppies, no fertilizer is ever needed for the kangkong (not even Miracle Grow).
Have observed one key factor to sustain the growth of healthy green spinach leaves, week after week, month after month - use a garden hose, spray the surface of the kangkong swamp with fresh cool water every few days, for a few minutes. In doing this, evaporated water is replaced with fresh oxigenated water, which the spinach and guppies both need. Neglecting to spray the kangkong regularly will result in non-desirable looking spinach leaves.
The coolest thing about kangkong - it grows year round (indoors or out), as long as it has plenty of water. The leaves and even the stems are very delicious, especially as stir fry, in noodles, soup, or with pasta.
Swamp spinach is all about the harvest, which brings to mind what Jesus said in the Gospel of John, chapter 15, 1-8 (NIV):
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
Thank you for visiting this blog. Hope you will try kangkong, and even more importantly, you will walk with Jesus, the true Master Gardener.
If you live on the island of Rota, or visitng from another island, stop by sometime, and get a free jar of guppies - plenty for everybody.
Take care.
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